A fully automatic production line operated by Dasheng Group Co in Nantong [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A provincial conference discussing intelligent demonstration plants in the textile industry was held in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 29.

More than 100 representatives from textile companies, financial institutes and different levels of government took part in the event, with many impressed by Nantong's achievements in promoting intelligent manufacturing in the industry.

"Nantong has served as a model for the whole industry in shifting production from being labor intensive to technology intensive," said Wang Ningning, a business leader from Wuxi, during a visit to Dasheng Group Co.

Instead of the roaring noise of machines and busy workers, visitors saw a quiet and tidy plant housing a fully automatic production line. The plant requires just one third the number of workers compared to a typical traditional factory. Employees can monitor and control the machines remotely using mobile phones.

Over the past two years, Nantong has launched nearly 200 intelligent manufacturing projects, attracting more than 30 billion yuan ($4.22 billion) in investment.

To date, 500 firms have transformed and upgraded their production to intelligent technologies, and 90 percent of intelligent equipment manufacturers have established partnerships with universities and research institutes.

According to officials at the city's industry and information technology department, Nantong will work continuously to help set industrial standards and promote the development and application of high-end management systems in textile production.